Ipswich Town confirmed that right-sided defender Axel Tuanzebe will leave the club on Thursday evening upon the expiration of his contract, leaving The Tractor Boys in a predicament as to where to go next to fill the void Tuanzebe leaves behind, as the DR Congo international defender returns to the Premier League with newly promoted Burnley.
Sticking with in-house options
Despite many supporters calling for a new right-back to arrive at Portman Road this window upon the departure of Tuanzebe, Ipswich do already have capable heads within their ranks that can fill the vacant duties.
Ben Johnson
With the Premier League experience that he brings, Ben Johnson looks to be the best option Ipswich currently possess at right fullback to replace Tuanzebe, which could give The Tractor Boys some real quality without having to spend big in the transfer market.
The former West Ham defender arrived in Suffolk last summer on a free transfer, and at the time it was an important signing for Ipswich. However, Tuanzebe was still favoured by McKenna, with Johnson enduring most of his early minutes as a substitute.
During a spell where Tuanzebe was out injured, however, it gave Johnson a chance to prove himself, and the right-sided defender didn’t let down, slotting in and showing his experience against some of the best wingers on the global stage, keeping them quiet for large parts of matches.
With said experience, and repeatedly strong defensive statistics through FotMob, the 25-year-old will be a class above many in the Championship following on from his many Premier League seasons, making him an impressive option for The Tractor Boys to already have in their squad.
Harry Clarke
Returning from his loan with Sheffield United early through injury, Harry Clarke may provide McKenna further food for thought with his impressive Ipswich record since joining in the January of 2023.
Last season, Clarke enjoyed many appearances with his home town club Ipswich as they managed to secure their Premier League return.
During the 2023/2024 Campaign, the now 24-year-old defender registered some impressive statistics through FotMob, most notably his nearly 50% long-ball accuracy and also an impressive percentage of successful crosses, making him a perfect fit for McKenna’s exciting wingback role that Ipswich like to get out of their fullbacks in attacking situations.
However, Clarke’s defensive attributes show signs of concern, with just the 67.6% of tackles won in 23/24 and also just a 54% success rate in his duels. The defending side is important for The Tractor Boys, and maybe, if last year’s charts are anything to go by, Clarke wouldn’t be the star man in at right-back for Ipswich as they look to build up compactness ahead of their promotion hunt.
Looking away from Suffolk for a replacement
However, Ipswich may still want to look away from Suffolk and the strong pair of players already in their group, and The Tractor Boys certainly aren’t short of options that could be available on the market if they were to search for a Tuanzebe successor.
Joel Latibeaudiere
Coventry City star Joel Latibeaudiere could be one of the potential replacements away from Suffolk that Ipswich look to chase down, as his passing style of play and attacking threats promise to fit the McKenna criteria that The Tractor Boys will be hunting for in a Tuanzebe replacement.
The key statistics that make Latibeaudiere stand out is his exceptionally high successful passing rate in the 2024/2025 campaign, which stands at 87.8%, alongside other attacking charts which show why a move for the 22-year-old could be perfect as Ipswich look to find the right fit for their new vacancy at right-back.
The Jamaican defender is also a very capable defender, which has been shown especially well over the last two seasons, especially in 23/24, where Latibeaudiere was able to win high numbers of tackles and aerial duels.
Ipswich could well be the right fit, if the Suffolk outfit were to make their move, but that all depends on what McKenna’s men want to do in order to replace Tuanzebe with a player of the right quality.
Kyle Walker-Peters
Fresh from his departure at Southampton, Kyle Walker-Peters may well be looking for pastures new and away from the Championship.
However, on a free transfer and a high level of quality and experience, if the offer was right, Ipswich would be a perfect destination for the 28-year-old Englishman. With Southampton, despite them being so defensively open, whenever Walker-Peters appeared he seemed to solidify things a little bit, and his 65.9% of challenges won (as per FotMob) last campaign proves the story.
Last time he was in the Championship, the 28-year-old’s defensive statistics were also very impressive, winning 70.3% of challenges. On the attacking front, last season Walker-Peters had a significantly high number of touches in the opposition box, as he followed on from good cross success rates and a superb Expected Assists ratio in 2023/2024.
Could Suffolk be the right fit? Yes, it could potentially would be a perfect move as The Tractor Boys look to rebound and go straight back up to the Premier League. The quality and experience is there, but it truly does depend if Walker-Peters himself wants to move to Portman Road and if he even wants to continue playing in the Championship.
Tuanzebe departing is arguably huge, huge blow for Ipswich, but they have options already in Suffolk and many chances to pursue players away from Portman Road, but where do you think the Tractor Boys should look next?
Let us know down in the comments below.
